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Mt. Tabor reservoirs: what should happen now? (survey)

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The reservoirs on Mt. Tabor are set to be disconnected at the end of 2015, but some neighbors are still fighting that decision. At the same time, other neighbors are ready to talk about what will happen to the reservoirs after the disconnect.
(The Oregonian/file)

I've still got a lot to learn about Portland (I moved here in September) but one thing is very clear: there's a lot of controversy surrounding the changes happening with the water system -- particularly in the Mt. Tabor neighborhood, where the open reservoirs are a beloved part of the park.

In 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a regulation requiring cities to filter water in a treatment plant and cover open reservoirs. Portland was able to get out of building a filter treatment plant, but the EPA and Oregon Health Authority have repeatedly denied the city's attempts to avoid or delay complying with the reservoir rules.

Some local activists are collecting signatures for an initiative they hope to get on the May 2014 ballot that would yank control of the Water Bureau away from City Hall and place it in the hands of an independent, elected board. Willamette Week reports there is a separate petition (aimed at the November 2014 ballot) that would create a "People's Water Trust" and bind either City Hall or the independent board, depending on whether or not the first initiative makes the ballot and passes.

Over the weekend, Kim Lakin, who has lived near Mt. Tabor for 22 years, shared her ideas about what should become of the reservoirs. In a commentary piece for The Oregonian, Lakin wrote that she is prepared to accept defeat in the fight to keep the open reservoirs in use and doesn't want to see them become eye sores after disconnection.

I want to know where the rest of you stand and what ideas you have for the Mt. Tabor reservoirs if they are disconnected at the end of 2015 as planned. If you're having trouble viewing the survey below, you can open it in a separate window. Unless you agree to be quoted (and I hope you do!) your name won't be published with your response.